Projects Portfolio
Introduction
SVARAM is a community of makers, musicians, and designers dedicated to the exploration of sound as a craft, an experience, and a form of healing. Founded in Auroville, our work draws from local traditions, contemporary research, and a long-standing commitment to hand-built quality.
Every instrument and every installation begins from the same place: attentive listening, careful experimentation, and a belief that sound can shape space, behavior and wellbeing.
Our journey has evolved through continual practice. Over the years, we have developed a body of work that combines acoustic knowledge, material sensitivity, and an integrative approach to design.
What follows in this portfolio reflects contributions from the SVARAM Team: Sound Designers, Artisans, Engineers, Architects, and collaborators who work together to create spaces of resonance.
We selected four projects that express this shared path of research and craft:
Each project was conceived and developed within SVARAM’s design process, shaped by our collective experience and by the values that define us: community, creative inquiry, precision in making, and a deep respect for sound as a living medium.
This portfolio presents who we are, how we work, and the continuity of a practice refined over many years, reflecting SVARAM’s integrated approach to sound, craft, and spatial experience. Each installation embodies our ongoing research into resonance, materiality, and the relationship between sound and place.
The following pages present a visual overview of these projects-photographs, materials, spatial impressions-that trace the evolution of our work across different contexts and environments.
The Signature Entrance Experience
The Sound Garden serves as the unique “signature” defining the entrance area of the IME Bangalore. It is a composition of interactive installations that invite visitors on an evolving exploration from primal sound to communal music play, preparing them for the museum exhibitions inside.
Collaboration a Key to Progress
The concept rests on the unique Indian principle of “Sapta Svara” (seven notes). Developed in collaboration with TM Michael Foley Design, the project was shaped through a shared exploration of acoustics, interaction and cultural context. The goal was to create a direct acoustic sensory experience that is simultaneously educational, musical and interactive, serving a pedagogical age range from 3 to 99 years old.
Engineered for High-Traffic Outdoors
A primary challenge was ensuring durability in an outdoor setting. The installations were engineered to withstand intensive daily use by up to 1,000 visitors, including large school groups, requiring robust materials offering high damage resistance.
Strategic Acoustic Placement
The singular diverse elements are strung together strategically within a semi-controlled environment. The layout carefully considers visitor circulation paths and the overall acoustic impact, balancing free interactive play within a pedagogically defined space.
Creating Unforgettable Memories
The IME Sound Garden successfully creates an unforgettable memory for visitors. By combining durable design with “soft supervision” to guarantee proper conduct, it transforms a public entrance into a unique space for communal musical expression.
An Integrated Resort Soundscape
“Sound Treasures” is a comprehensive auxiliary concept designed to create a one-of-a-kind auditory signature for the JOALI Resort. It is an ecosystem of four distinct acoustic components—ranging from private in-villa chimes to public interactive installations—composed and tuned as a whole to offer varied, adventurous explorations of sound for guests of all ages.
Enhancing the Atmosphere of Regeneration
The uniqueness of a luxury destination depends on its memorable “signature”. The objective was to heighten the silent atmosphere and regenerative quality of the beautiful island environment. The sound elements are designed to deepen relaxation and offer a holistic experience that harmonises with the natural setting, rather than disrupting it.
A Multi-Layered Acoustic Composition
The solution is executed across four integrated layers across the island:
Beyond Installation: A Holistic Program
To ensure a lasting impact, the “Sound Treasures” concept extends beyond physical objects. It includes comprehensive training for resource persons and therapists, alongside seasonal thematic programs on music and creativity, ensuring the soundscape actively contributes to the guests’ holistic wellness journey.
A Landmark Sound Installation
The Sound Web is a massive, permanent acoustic sculpture commissioned for the highly-trafficked Terminal 2 of Mumbai International Airport (Chhatrapati Shivaji MIA).
Suspended high above the main concourse, the structure features a complex array of tuned tubular chimes and bells, designed not merely as decor, but as a central sonic element to define the space.
Transforming Transit Experience
The core challenge was transforming the inherently stressful, noisy environment of a major international airport terminal into a space with a calming, cultural identity. The installation, named “Sound Wings“, forms part of the broader T2 Public Art Installation created by Rajeev Sethi Design / Asia Heritage, one of India’s foremost design figures and a student of IS Laurent.
Within this context, “The Cultural Sound Signature” was developed in accordance with research into the Vedic origins of Classical Indian music. The entire sonic array is tuned in a precise Shruti / Just Intonation system derived from the proportional canon of the harmonic series. Using an excerpt of the 8, 9, 10, 12, and 15 overtones that form the Raga Hamsadhvani scale, the installation represents a rare contemporary design expression of the ancient shastric tonal matrix.
These deep, harmonically tuned resonances counteract ambient noise pollution in the terminal, creating a momentary sense of calm and cultural connection for thousands of daily travelers.
Large-Scale Engineering and Aesthetics
Svaram designed and engineered the installation to meet strict international airport safety and scale requirements.
The structure seamlessly integrates hundreds of precisely tuned metal tubes into the terminal’s existing architecture, using a design that complements the modern Indian aesthetics found throughout T2. The Sound Web acts as a passive, atmospheric instrument. It is designed to resonate primarily with the subtle movements of air-or through a gentle electromechanical activation-to emit deeply resonant, low- frequency tones. This creates a continuous, almost subconscious sound field that resonates with the body, offering a calming anchor amidst the rush of travel.
The Cultural Sound Signature
Rooted in the Vedic principles of classical Indian music, this installation functions as a profound sonic anchor. By applying the Shruti system and the Raga Hamsadhvani scale mentioned above, we have re-introduced the ancient shastric tonal matrix into a contemporary space. This integration of ancient knowledge with modern engineering transforms ambient noise into a coherent cultural identity, offering travelers an immersive connection to India’s deep auditory heritage.
The Custom Sonorium Concept
Tulah Wellness Sanctuary required a completely custom, integrated approach to its healing spaces. The core of this collaboration was the design and implementation of a specialized Sonorium-a bespoke sound-healing environment that serves as one of the central pillar of Tulah’s therapeutic offerings, moving beyond standard spa treatments.
Elevating Holistic Wellness
The challenge was to create an acoustic dimension that aligns with Tulah’s mission of deep, individualised wellness and somatic healing. The soundscape needed to be scientifically supported yet intuitively experienced, providing profound states of relaxation and cellular resonance that accelerate the body’s natural regenerative processes.
Sound as a Healing Modality
The solution involved designing unique sonic ‘instruments’ and installation methods tailored specifically to the Sonorium’s architecture. This includes:
The Science of Resonance
The Sonorium uses controlled vibration and precise tonal frequencies to guide clients into a restorative Nidra/Alpha state. Instruments are strategically composed to offer a variety of sound textures—from the grounding energy of lower tones to the ethereal quality of crystalline chimes. The custom-built environment ensures that the sound is felt through the body (somatic) as much as it is heard (auditory).
Precision Engineering: On-Site Integration
The transition from concept to reality required an intensive phase of on-site assembly. Unlike standard installations, the Tulah Sonorium demanded precise structural integration within the sanctuary’s unique domed architecture. These images document the complex process of fitting the bespoke acoustic instruments and harmonising them with the lighting and interior finishes to create a seamless, resonant vessel.
Resonant Spaces, Lasting Impact
The Tulah Sonorium is a successful example of how sound research and artistry can be applied to redefine the modern wellness experience. This collaboration provides Tulah with a powerful, signature therapeutic tool that offers clients a measurable, non-pharmacological pathway to deep rest and self-regulation, ensuring a unique and memorable component to their healing journey.
